northern flying squirrel

Geographic Range:
Glaucomys sabrinus ranges from the treeline in Alaska and Canada southward in the west to northern California and Colorado, in the middle of the continent to central Michigan and Wisconsin, and in the east to northern North Carolina and Tennessee. Island populations exist in areas of high elevation in other parts of the United States, including the southern Appalachian Mountains, the Black Hills, and the Sierra Nevada.

Habitat:
Most often found in areas dominated by conifers, northern flying squirrels can also be relatively abundant in deciduous and mixed coniferous/deciduous forests. Glaucomys sabrinus has been found in diverse areas including regions dominated by spruce, fir, and mixed hemlocks, in beech maple forests, and in areas dominated by white spruce and birch with interspersed aspen groves. The northern flying squirrel often nests in conifers 1 to 18 meters above the ground. The nests are made of twigs and bark, and they are softened with feathers, fur, leaves, and conifer needles.

Physical Description
Mass 75 to 140 g; avg. 132.17 g (2.64 to 4.93 oz; avg. 4.65 oz)
Length 275 to 342 mm (10.83 to 13.46 in)
Glaucomys sabrinus weighs between 75 and 140 grams, and ranges from 275 to 342 mm in length. It has silky grey and cinnamon brown fur, with white tipped and grey based belly hairs. Northern flying squirrels have a furred patagium (fleshy membrane) that extends from the wrist of the foreleg to the ankles of the hindleg. The tail is furred, flattened, rounded at the end, and long (80% of the length of the head and body). Glaucomys sabrinus has large black eyes, which it uses for nighttime activity. Southern flying squirrels, which appear similar to the northern flying squirrels, can be distinguished because they are smaller and the hairs on the belly are often white all the way to the base of the hair.